Publications

Commemorative volume

To mark its opening, the Hermitage Amsterdam will publish a richly illustrated guide to the history of Amstelhof and the origins of the Hermitage Amsterdam.

It will consist of five essays by respected authors:

The history of Amstelhof and parish care (1683-1968) by Nelleke Noordervliet

The Amstelhof as a nursing home (1968-2007) by Carina van Aartsen

The inspiration behind the Hermitage Amsterdam by Jan Tromp, based on interviews with Ernst W. Veen, director of the Hermitage Amsterdam, and Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

The design of the Hermitage Amsterdam by Hans Ibelings

Peter the Great visit to Amsterdam in 1697 by Nelleke Noordervliet

Title: Hermitage Amsterdam, from nursing home to museum

Dutch and English

288 pp and approx. 150 illustrations

publication mid-June

ISBN 978-90-78653-11-0 (English Version)

published by Museum Shop Hermitage Amsterdam

€ 34,95 (with reservation)

Children’s Book

Former journalist and children’s theatre-maker Ella Reitsma has been invited to write a special children’s book entitled Boris X. The cats-tsar in the Hermitage St Petersburg, for children aged 8 and over. An old tomcat Boris gives a guided tour of the Hermitage in St Petersburg. He is the top cat in a community that has been living in the cellars of the Hermitage for centuries and whose job is to catch mice. Now fresh blood from outside is needed: the cats have become lazy and flabby, and most of them don’t want anything to do with mice.

Boris, a crossbreed Russian Blue, meets Tatja, an alley cat with no manners and a very dubious pedigree. He takes her round the galleries pointing out various treasures and telling her about the history of the museum. They visit Peter the Great’s Throne Room, Nicholas II’s library, the nineteenth-century dining room, the salon, the Scythian jewellery, and the axes and other artefacts of the early ‘Russians’ in Siberia.

Of course modern art is also included in the tour and the new recruit thinks paintings by Matisse and Picasso are the works of short-sighted children.

On the way Boris introduces her to other cats who live there: a Burmese, a Siberian, an Egyptian and others whose ancestors came from the same regions as the works of art.

Title: Boris X. The cats-tsar in the Hermitage St Petersburg

Dutch

72 pp with approx. 75 illustrations

publication mid-June

ISBN 978-90-78653-12-7 (Dutch Version)

published by Museum Shop Hermitage Amsterdam

€ 19,95 (with reservation)

Exhibition catalogue

The catalogue At the Russian Court tells the story of the exhibition and also gives background information in four scholarly essays and twelve shorter, more accessible articles, on various aspects of the exhibition. It includes a family tree of the Romanovs, an explanation of the complex hierarchy at the Russian court, and detailed descriptions of the objects.

The four essays:

Nina Tarasova, From Paul I to Nicholas II. Russia under the Romanovs (1796-1917)

George Vilinbachov, Lina Tarasova, Ceremonies at the Russian imperial court

Lina Tarasova, Celebrations at the court

Alexander Solovyev, St Petersburg, capital of the Russian Empire

The twelve articles:

Irina Bagdasarova, Ekaterina Khmelnitskaya, Dinners at the court of the Russian tsars

Vyacheslav Fedorov, Theatre and music at the court

Irina Kuznetsova, The Church and the court

Tamara Korshunova, Gala costumes at the court

Tamara Korshunova, Ladies’ fashions

Olga Kostyuk, Treasures at the court

Maria Menshikova, The Chinese masquerade

Galina Mirolyubova, Playing cards in Russian court life

Yulia Plotnikova, ‘Waaier’ is a Dutch word

Yulia Plotnikova, The tsars’ children

Galina Printseva, Hunting at the tsars’ court

Andrei Strelnikov, At the ball and on guard. The Russian guard at the court